Love in the Time of Coronavirus ~ An Update
By Dr. Francesco Gesualdo, pediatrician
Hello again, we are back with a brief update because as we all know, things are changing quickly.
The government on Wednesday launched new, very restrictive measures – with which our doctors fully agree – because this is the only way to radically slow down the progression of the epidemic.
Based on the new rules, which we are all required to duly respect, we are updating what was said in the previous article.
- The limitation of our social contact has become more rigid. Our previous suggestion to choose a single family to meet with at this point is no longer valid. It is essential to avoid having contact with anyone at the moment. I understand, as a dad, as well as a pediatrician, how demanding this can be. But, as you have all understood, it is a struggle more necessary than before.
- Grandparents and the elderly, as already stated, must be protected. So unless they live with you, it is important to avoid contact with them. The only exception: if it is absolutely necessary to have the grandparents take care of your children during the day, if you cannot work from home and you have no possibility of looking after the children in any other way.
- Walks: there hasn’t been much clarity about this. It seems that self-declaration is also necessary for walks, and that it is not possible to go out and about except to do the shopping, go to work or go to the home of family members in need of care. At the same time it is possible to do a bit of physical activity, avoiding groups of people. So can children go out? We need to try to interpret the decree with a little common sense, I believe that a few short outings to get the children to breathe in some fresh air, strictly keeping the safety distances from other people – and in particular from other children! – is granted.
- Doctor visits: the decisions regarding which visits to postpone and which to maintain will be bit more exacting. Visits for newborns and visits for vaccines will be guaranteed. For the rest, it will be assessed on a case-by-case basis but with a slightly stricter criteria. I have already started hosting televisits on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, whoever needs a consultation can contact me through email or on Whatsapp or book an appointment here.
- Tips for domestic life: it is important that children do not get lost in the confusion of these complicated days, which are radically different from their norms, and unfortunately deprive them of contact with other people. This, combined with the anxiety about the epidemic that they certainly perceive, could be the cause of stress, nervousness and apparently inexplicable moments of restlessness.
A bit of advice:
- Keep your daily schedules and important routines: in the morning wake up and have breakfast, then you wash yourselves and get ready, like on a normal day.
- It is useful to construct your days around activities, you can discuss them all together at the beginning of the day. There are the pieces which can be decided upon all together: a little physical activity, drawing, chores, e-learning, short walks, TV (without exaggeration, maximum 2 hours a day, agreeing beforehand on the allowances for screen time.)
- Given the basically sedentary lifestyle we are destined for in the coming weeks, it is important now, more than ever, to have a more balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, avoid in between meals, soft drinks and packaged snacks. Once or twice a week you can think of preparing a light dessert together with your children, and, for those who know how to do it, even preparing homemade bread or pasta together can be good activities to share with your children, and to keep the day moving
